Anybody hear John Elliot (Air America San Diego) refer to infertile women

[Nikki Stone 1]

...as "uptight white suburban bitches"?

I kid you not.


I was stuck on the 5 freeway today, going down to San Diego and Air America in LA cut out. I found Air America 1360 in San Diego and was happy to hear an interview with a woman running for president in Kenya. She was explaining why the debt of poor countries should be forgiven among other things. Elliot asked her about running for president as a woman in Kenya, and explained to the guest that over half of his listening audience was female and that he often had on "strong women" as guests. (I have no way of knowing for sure. I'll take his word for it.)

I ended up listening to the second hour of the show which started off well: an expert from UVA on bioethics discussion stem cell research. Great topic, great guest.

Once the guest left, Elliot was left to his own devices with local callers. At one point Elliot pointed out that George Bush signed the stem cell bill in front of the "adopted embryo" children and that these children were all WHITE. I was happy that Elliot mentioned it. This is a very important distinction, I think, speaking to race, class, and the fundamentalists' view of who God's children actually are. So, I was looking forward to the dicussion, ready for comments about racism, economic diparity, etc.

What I was NOT ready for was comments comparing the fertility of white and black women. Elliot explained to his caller that black women didn't need fertility treatments (which eventually create all those embryos). Only--and these are Elliot's own words--"uptight white suburban bitches" needed fertility treatment.


I was shocked. This wasn't Rush Limbaugh or any of the right radio talk crowd. This was one of our own. That's what made it so heinous. This comment insults both Black and white women. It perpetuates the stereotype of black women as breeders (a la Ronald Reagan) and it ignores the economic disparity that prevents black women with fertility issues from seeking help. It also denigrates white women with real fertility issues.

I don't know exactly what to do about it. I would like to email Elliot's producers or Air America nationally. The left is hard enough to keep together in one group as it is. (Was it Dean who said we were like "herding cats"?) But women are a large part of the movement, and comments like Elliot's only serve to make me want to change my registration to Green. Seriously.

Any suggestions?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Write him and also AAR

Quote him directly, and ask it this is considered to be the opinion of all AAR. I'd tell him that I find the term he used for women suitable only for female dogs.

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. I'm trying to find the AA site in San Diego online

For some reason Google keeps giving me the national site

[Nikki Stone 1]

3. Apparently I can't complain unless I register and I can't register

because the site won't let me.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Write the national site for AAR

And look in the phone book and call the station.

[Nikki Stone 1]

5. Ah! The phone book. Embarrassed that I didn't think of old technology.

Let me see what I can find.

[Solly Mack]

6. Please let us know how the call goes

What a horribly sexist/racist thing to say about women.

[Nikki Stone 1]

8. Just found a local number for 1360 KLSD. (What call letters!)

I'm going to try the business office number.

[Nikki Stone 1]

Nobody's around til Monday.

They're a Clear Channel station.

[Solly Mack]

11. Okies. Thank you!!!

[Liberal In Texas]

13. He's not AAR. He's a local guy in SD.

I think he's filled in a few times for vacationing hosts on AAR, but he is not an AAR employee. He is a local San Diego talk show host who has his show on an AAR affiliate.

[Nikki Stone 1]

16. So he's a private contractor AA uses to fill space?

He seemed to have some decent guests on. And how can somebody actually GET that gig?

[MADem]

7. Well, his racial remarks are not only idiotic, they are untrue

Not too terribly long ago there was an embryo mix up, where the caucasian woman ended up with the african woman's eggs, and vice versa. It was quite the imbroglio....

Here's the story: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn2512

[Emit]

9. And I recall

This family who had sextuplets following fertility treatments:

http://hometown.aol.com/lovie571/

http://www.harrissextuplets.net/extreme.shtml

[tech3149]

10. I was listening to the entire show

I'll agree the comment was snarky and depending on your sensibilities, may have been over the top. My impression is the point he was trying to make is that those who use fertility clinics are from an economically advantaged position. Unfortunately, that generally means white people. I'm not female, so I won't claim to understand how this might have offended women, but men do have a history of not understanding women and their thoughts or feelings.

If it upset you enough to post, you should get in touch with him. Jon is more than willing to discuss ideas with people who disagree with him. You can email him at [e-mail]

[Nikki Stone 1]

12. Thanks for the email,

but I don't agree with your take on the comment. It was nasty, it was misogynistic and it was racist.

I can't think of a male equivalent for this kind of comment. Maybe penis enlargment, though I don't know if penis size carries the same force for men as fertility/infertility does for women. But let's say penis enlargement, for the sake of argument. Suppose a female host were trying to make the point that only white males spent money on penis enlargement. If she made a comment like, "No Black males? They don't need it. Only whiney little white men with pencil thin wieners pay for that!"

It would be in questionable taste at very least. I am sure there would be angry males in the audience who would vent some spleen, call her a man hater or whatever.

And like I said, this doesn't really approximate the history and subtext behind the comment Elliot made. Just a shot in the dark to see if we can get some understanding going.

[tech3149]

17. The penis enlargement argument works perfectly

Most men are sensitive about their sexual abilities and the relationship with endowment. But the analogy suffers the same limiting factor. The only people who would seek to correct that percieved physical limitation would be those that could afford it. Those economic factors would follow the same racial lines (with an advantage given to the male).

[Nikki Stone 1]

21. We're on the same page: it IS an economic issue and it is important

I totally agree.

Snarky comments referencing race and gender bigotry just obscures the more important issues.

Thanks for reading the post.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

14. I wish I was surprised

but I am not. I've heard him speak before. He's obnoxious.

And of course, then the converse would be that women of color breed like rabbits because they LIKE IT, right?

Somebody needs to give him an atomic wedgie.

[Nikki Stone 1]

15. Would you be interested in reading my email to him? (in post)

Subject: "uptight white suburban bitches"


John,

Don't know how much response-if any-you've gotten on your comments today, but as a first time listener, I have to admit a "punched in the stomach" kind of shocked feeling when I heard you say these words.

Here's the deal. I am lifelong Democrat who thinks we're living in the most disastrous administration probably ever. I am also a lifelong supporter of abortion rights, race and gender equality, unions, gay rights etc. I also have some expendable income to spend on Air America advertisers. I am the kind of listener your station wants. The last thing you should do as a radio host is insult your base. (There's enough of that on right wing radio.)

So why the knee jerk comments and the use of the word "bitch"? In case you forgot, here's the context:

First hour of your show today: Female Presidential candidate from Kenya. (Great guest). You mention to her that over half your demographic is women.

Second hour: Bioethicist from UVA on stem cell research. Again, great guest. Great issue. He leaves. You point out that Resident Bush signed his idiotic stem cell bill in front of "adopted embryo" children, ALL of whom were White. Great issue: speaks to race, class, and the Fundamentalists' view of who God's children actually are.

Then you stick your foot in it:

You explain to a caller that Black women don't need fertility treatments (which eventually create all those embryos). Only--and these are your words, dude --"uptight white suburban bitches" need fertility treatment.

Damn!

So many insults in one little phrase.

For Black women: Your comment perpetuates the stereotype of black women as breeders (with an endless fertility so feared by Ronald Reagan's right.) AND it's WRONG. Black women DO seek fertility treatment. Some fellow posters on Democratic Underground gave me the following links for you to look at:

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn2512 (You should remember this story)

http://hometown.aol.com/lovie571 /

http://www.harrissextuplets.net/extreme.shtml

Seeking fertility treatment is about money. The infertile but poor end up not seeking the (very) expensive help. Your knee-jerk comment ignores the economic disparity that prevents some black women with fertility issues from seeking help. It also ignores the fact that black women with some means actually do seek fertility treatment, just like their white counterparts.


For White Women: Not only does it denigrate white women's sexuality (which conversely reinforces the stereotype of black women as being oversexed), but it also ignores the fact that poor white women cannot seek fertility treatment either. Of course by putting the "suburban" in your comment, you insult a lot of your base. Democratic women of all colors run the economic gamut: we're rich, poor, middle class--and even suburban sometimes. Insult the suburban woman at your peril: she's busy donating to political campaigns, PDA, NARAL, Greenpeace, etc. I'll bet you have some white suburban female donors to Air America.

There's a lot more I could say, but it is boiling hot in San Diego and I don't have air conditioning where I am staying. So here's the deal: Think before your speak or you'll end sounding as stupid as the guy who stole the White House.

And, no I didn't listen to the rest of your show. That was enough for me. As Queen Latifah would say, "Whoya callin BITCH!"

Nikki Stone

[TallahasseeGrannie]

18. WAY. TO. GO.

[tech3149]

19. Good response Nikki

I wouldn't argue with a point you made. Let us know what response you get.

[Solly Mack]

20. Good email!!!

WTG! Nikki

[Nikki Stone 1]

22. Email sent. Thanks for the support.

I'll let you know if I get a response.

[dsc]

23. I would expect this out of Savage

utterly outrageous.

[elehhhhna]

24. I didn't need fertility treatment but after reading that I am now

officially an Uptight White Suburban Bitch alright.